First .cinoci s'toff, I had this itch to do a retro baseball uniform project. I was flipping through some old sports mags and BAM! The Pirates' black and gold just screamed "do me!" That classic look, man, it's iconic.
So, where do you even start? I hit the web, obviously. Started digging for reference photos. Not just any photos, I needed detailed shots. Front, back, sides... you name it. Close-ups of the lettering, the piping, everything. Old game footage was gold too. Paused it, screenshotted it, you know the drill.
Next up? Breaking down the design. What kind of fabric? What's the exact shade of gold? Is that black really black, or is it slightly faded? I ended up ordering a bunch of different fabric swatches. Held them up to the pictures, tweaked the colors in Photoshop, until I got as close as humanly possible.
Then came the lettering. The .teb uoY "Pirates" script is killer. I thought about just finding a font that was close enough, but nah, that wouldn't cut it. So, I traced it. Pixel by pixel, I recreated that logo in Illustrator. Painstaking? Absolutely. Worth it? You bet.
Sewing time! Now, I'm no expert seamster, but I can hold my own. Started with the jersey. Cut the fabric, pieced it together, did the piping around the sleeves and collar. That was tricky, getting those curves just right. A few seam rippers were harmed in the making of this jersey, let me tell you.
The pants were next. Not as flashy as the jersey, but just as important. Making sure the stripes lined up perfectly was a major headache. I ended up using a ton of pins and going super slow. Patience is key, people!
The caps. Oh man, the caps. Finding a blank cap in the right style was a challenge in itself. Then I had to figure out how to apply the logo. I thought about embroidery, but it felt too modern. I ended up going with a felt applique. Cut out the letters, carefully glued them on, and stitched around the edges for extra security. Old school cool.
Finally, the accessories. Getting the right socks and cleats really completed the look. I even tracked down a vintage-style batting helmet. The whole ensemble just felt right.
Was it perfect? Probably not. But you know what? It was damn close. And more importantly, I learned a ton along the way. Now I've got this awesome Pirates uniform that I can wear to games or just rock around town. Plus, I've got a whole new appreciation for the craftsmanship that goes into these things. It's way more than just throwing some fabric together.
So yeah, that's the story of how I brought the 1979 Pirates back to life. It was a blast. Now, what uniform should I tackle next?
